


Poisoned

by maqcy



Series: Whumptober 2018 [5]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Bonding, Burning, Caves, Comfort, Exploration, Friendship, Gen, Hurt, Hurt Sam Winchester, M/M, Major Original Character(s), Molestation, Near Death, Non-Consensual Touching, Original Character(s), POV Sam Winchester, Protective Sam Winchester, Shapeshifting, Sick Sam Winchester, Supernatural Creatures, Touching, Whump, Whumptober, as in he's ill, cerastes, implied - Freeform, light molesting, m/m - Freeform, poisoned, snake - Freeform, this ended up sweeter than i meant, unable to see, venom - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-05
Updated: 2018-10-05
Packaged: 2019-07-25 17:56:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16202669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maqcy/pseuds/maqcy
Summary: Sam and Dean go hunting what they think is a djinn. It’s not a djinn.





	Poisoned

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AnOddSock](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnOddSock/gifts).



> this one got a little long for a one-shot but I hope you like it!

“What the hell is that thing?” Dean yelled as he scrambled away. “I thought we were dealing with a djinn, not- whatever the fuck that is!”

“I don’t know what it is, Dean!” Sam snapped, eying the horned snake warily. Its body was as thick as his thigh and it was watching him like he was food, it’s tongue flickering in and out.

“Sam…” Dean said, sounding nervous as the snake slid closer to Sam. Sam tried edging backwards but the snake followed him, its scales rasping over the rocks on the floor of the cave.

A hunter’s body had turned up poisoned outside these caves; the signs had pointed towards the attacker being a djinn, not some kind of giant, horned snake that Sam had never seen before.

The snake kept getting closer and Sam was backed up against a fucking wall. He pulled his gun and his breath caught in his throat when he saw the snake coiling to strike. He fired the pistol straight at its head- only for it to rise up, hissing louder than a growling motorcycle, and launch itself straight at Sam’s neck.

“Sam!” he heard Dean yell but the thing already had its fangs in Sam’s neck and it was on top of him, the weight of it crushing his chest and dragging him to the floor. “Get off him!” Dean shouted and then there were more gunshots and that deafening hissing far too close to his ear. Sam couldn’t breathe with the weight of it on his chest, could barely see straight and he felt his vision going, but before he passed out he felt the snake moving under him as he was dragged across the stone and into the pitch-black warren of caves.

*

Sam tensed rigid as he came to, opening his eyes to complete blackness. His breathing increased, rasping in his chest and he became aware of a throbbing pain in his neck. He brought his hand up to probe lightly at inflamed skin, only to seize up in pain at just the touch as agony radiated out from the bite all down his right arm and across his chest.

“Ah,” a voice said and Sam flinched violently, gritting his jaw when his back hit a wall and his neck twinged at the impact. “The younger Winchester, am I right?” Sam stayed silent, trying to look around, but there wasn’t even the slightest glint of light and he shuddered, feeling his chest tighten in terror even as he tried to slow his breathing. He heard the sound of scales rasping over rock and tensed.

“Your brother’s searching for you,” the snake said, suddenly much closer and Sam held himself tensely. His fingers roamed the wall behind him but it was just solid rock and dust. His gun wasn’t in its holster anymore, not that it had done much good last time, and his knife wasn’t there either. Fuck.

“I’m sure he’ll find you eventually,” the snake continued and Sam flinched when its breath brushed his shoulder. There were fingers on his neck, pressing into the bite wound and Sam kicked out with a scream, barely coherent as he threw himself away, hand clamped over his throbbing neck as he dragged in panicked breaths.

The snake he and Dean had fought hadn’t fucking had _fingers_ , nor a mouth.

“What are you?” he croaked. There was a sharp hiss that Sam knew instantly was from displeasure and he drew backwards instinctively.

“ _What_ am I?” the snake-creature said coldly. “Is that what you think of the things you kill, Sam? What are _you_? Do you think you still qualify as human-enough?”

Sam swallowed and blinked, “I’m…sorry,” he said slowly, realising that he’d offended it. “ _Who_ are you?”

He cringed when fingers brushed his cheek, expecting pain, but the touch was disturbingly gentle. “Better,” the snake said. “I am Cerastes. I would ask if you’ve heard of me but I expect not.” Sam kept quiet. Pain was seeping down from neck and spreading out, making his whole arm throb and he was sweating, his heart pounding too fast. The snake- _Cerastes_ , was obviously venomous, but how the hell Sam was going to get out this, he had no idea.

A cold hand touched his face and Sam froze. “You’re keeping very quiet, hunter,” Cerastes said. “Aren’t you going to ask what I want?”

Sam was half-way to a snarky answer before he managed to stop himself and breath through the pain in his neck and shoulder, “What do you want?” he asked, trying to keep his voice civil. Maybe he could reason with this- creature.

“Good question,” Cerastes laughed, its voice light. There wasn’t an obvious gender to its voice, only a slightly rasping quality. “Mostly I want you dead, since you walked so willingly into my trap. And then I want your brother to find you. Then I’ll kill him too.”

Sam closed his eyes as he clenched his left fist; any movement of his right arm was painful. “Are- you venomous?” he asked finally, since pleading with the snake not to kill him seemed pointless at this stage. Sam would fight, he always did, but he needed to know what he was dealing with first.

He heard that same rasp of scales over stone and then a cold hand was placed under his chin, holding him there, while another hand ran through his hair. He kept very still, his breath shuddering in and out of his chest as he tried to process what was happening.

“You can- change shape, right?” Sam said, still trying to figure this thing out. Was it humanoid now? Because it had very definitely been entirely a _snake_ , if a very large, horned snake, when he and Dean had been fighting it at the entrance to the cave-system.

“Indeed. I’m not chained to one skin as you humans are.”

Sam felt how Cerastes was touching his hair, almost like it was interested in the texture of it. Perhaps Cerastes didn’t grow hair. “Can I touch you?” Sam said slowly. He could feel the venom from the bite working its way across his chest and his neck felt like it was burning.

Cerastes’ hand stilled in Sam’s hair, “Why you want that?” it said.

“Just curious,” Sam said quietly. He couldn’t see this creature. And, yeah, he was curious, but he also wanted to know if this Cerastes had eyes he could stick his thumbs in, or a solar plexus he could hit.

The snake was silent for several seconds and Sam waited silently, even as he could feel the time passing like a physical weight on his shoulders, reminding him that he was pretty sure he was fucking _dying_.

“I suppose,” Cerastes said and Sam exhaled.

“Okay,” he said quietly and lifted his left arm slowly to reach out in front of him. His fingers met cool, smooth flesh and he stilled briefly, fascinated despite himself. He smoothed his thumb over the strange-feeling skin and felt what seemed to be a hip-bone. He moved upwards carefully and felt ribs, too close to the skin to be healthy, and then a flat chest. So, male? Or at least it seemed so. Sam’s roaming fingers moved over a nipple without him meaning to and he took his hand away sharply when Cerastes inhaled, worried that he was about to get his throat torn out.

Then Cerastes laughed, sounding slightly breathless, “You are gentle, for a hunter,” it, or perhaps he, said.

“Are- you male?” Sam wondered aloud, finding his hand reaching out to touch a bony shoulder, a collarbone. He momentarily forgot about the pain in his neck and was caught up in his curiosity over the creature.

Cerastes laughed again, “I have no gender,” they said. Sam startled when his hand was taken in a cool grip and then his hand was being guided downwards over the snake’s flat stomach. Sam flushed, thinking that he was about to encounter whatever genitalia it was that snakes have, but to his amazement the smooth, slightly leathery skin of Cerastes’ stomach blended seamlessly into scales.

“Oh my god,” Sam said, shocked despite himself. He’d seen a lot of things in his life but he still found himself able to be surprised. “Can I?” he said, as he slid his hand over flat, cool scales. Cerastes had a goddamn tail; thick as his waist and coiled around, shifting under Sam’s hands. “That’s- amazing,” he said quietly.

“Mm,” Cerastes said, but they sounded pleased.

“Can I touch your face?” Sam said.

“You may,” Cerastes said and Sam eagerly reached up, bumping into Cerastes’ chin.

“Sorry,” he said, running his fingers over a narrow face. Sam could feel scales on the top of Cerastes’ head, and they extended down behind Cerastes’ ears and down his spine, as far as Sam could reach anyway. Cerastes had no ears and no hair, not even eyelashes or eyebrows, but his nose and lips felt mostly human. Sam yelped in shock when a snake’s tongue flickered out to touch his fingers and Cerastes laughed. “Fuck,” Sam said softly.

“You are not what I expected, hunter,” Cerastes said and Sam grimaced, remembering the pain in his neck and he sighed, dropping his hand to lean back against the wall.

“How did you know about me, us, anyway?” he said.

Cerastes hissed quietly, but it was soft and not vicious as before. “I can taste murderers,” they said evenly. “And it was a hunter I last tasted. You and your brother’s names were mentioned.” Sam swallowed. “And you’re a murderer, aren’t you, Sam?”

Sam exhaled, “Yeah,” he said softly.

Cerastes was silent, “Mm, my turn to touch,” they said and Sam’s eyebrows lifted sharply.

“Seriously?” he said, twitching away when cool hands started tugging at his shirt. “Easy,” he said tightly, pushing Cerastes away. “That hurts.”

“Remove these coverings,” Cerastes said, sounding cold and Sam gritted his jaw and reluctantly moved his hand to the buttons on his shirt. Perhaps he could let Cerastes get close and then snap their neck. _Murderer_ , he thought and closed his eyes. It was so dark that it didn’t make any difference anyway.

He struggled with the buttons with just his left hand, his right lying limply at his side, and he felt Cerastes’ fingers touching his hand.

“It’s difficult with one hand,” Sam explained tightly. Cerastes didn’t respond but Sam felt how Cerastes was following his movements with their own fingers and after he’d loosened a couple of buttons, Cerastes took over, freeing his shirt.

Then there was a cool hand on his chest and Sam’s breathing hitched, trying to ignore the inappropriate way that his cock twitched in his jeans.

“You are furred,” Cerastes said, sounding amused.

“Yeah,” Sam said, swallowing as Cerastes’ hand roamed, touching his pec and then smoothing over his stomach, dipping curiously into his bellybutton before touching his hipbone. Cerastes’ hand left him for a moment before it was touching his face and Sam’s breathing seemed doubly loud as Cerastes’ fingers ran over his jaw, his lips, and then paid particular attention to his ears.

“Such odd features,” Cerastes murmured and Sam exhaled on a shaky laugh.

“I guess. I’m kind of used to them.”

Cerastes’ explored his eyelashes, and his brows, and then returned to smoothing through his hair.

“My kind do not grow this,” they said, almost to theirself. “Yours is longer than most males.”

“Yeah,” Sam agreed softly. The way Cerastes was touching him was distracting and Sam clenched his hand. Cerastes had said he would kill Dean, after their poison had killed Sam. “Cerastes,” he said slowly, “is there an antidote?”

The hand in his hair stilled and then withdrew. “Antidote?” Cerastes repeated. “Mm, for the venom?”

“Yeah,” Sam said warily. He was tensed to fight if Cerastes decided to attack him, now that their curiosity had been satisfied, but he didn’t hear the scrape of Cerastes’ scales.

“The only antidote I know of is my saliva,” they said evenly and Sam blinked, taken aback that he’d actually gotten an answer.

“Oh,” he said. The snake could be lying, of course, but it made a kind of sense.

“Sam!” Sam went rigid at the sound of Dean’s voice, distant but definitely there. Cerastes hissed violently and Sam reached out without thinking.

“ _Please_ ,” he said sharply. “Please, don’t hurt him. Cerastes.”

Cerastes was still under Sam’s hands for a heavy second, and then they pulled themself away with a jerk, “You are both murderers!” they hissed.

“I know!” Sam cried, “But we only kill other killers, like you!”

“Liar!” Cerastes said. Their voice sounded further away and Sam tried to scrabble towards them to stop them, but he only fumbled blindly, his arm a blaze of pain. “You have killed innocents; we are nothing alike!”

“I never meant to!” Sam said, his voice cracking, but Cerastes didn’t answer and Sam could only hear the rasp of their scales as they abandoned him, slithering away to hunt his brother. “Fuck!” Sam said.

“Sam!” he heard Dean shout, closer, and he tried to drag himself to his feet, only to stagger sideways, falling into a wall and crying out at the pain in his right arm, cringing away. But he couldn’t leave Dean to face Cerastes alone and he stumbled forwards, extending his left arm as he tried to feel his way.

“Dean!” he yelled, because at this point, he didn’t care if Cerastes found him.

“Sam!” Dean returned his yell and Sam moved as fast as he could in that direction. “Fuck!” he heard and tried to move faster as he saw something that could maybe, possibly, be light up ahead. He heard the crackle of fire and orange light flickered.

There was a cry that didn’t sound like Dean and Sam realised he didn’t want Cerastes dead either and, able to half-see, he broke into a lop-sided run, unable to keep to a straight line as the venom started hitting him harder now that he was moving; his heart working against him as it spread the venom around his body.

“Dean!” he cried, hoping his brother was okay, was alive. Hoping that Cerastes hadn’t killed or him, or been killed. Then Cerastes started screaming.

Sam stumbled around a corner and threw up his hand to shade his eyes from the flickering light of a burning torch. He came forwards with watering eyes as Cerastes continued to scream. “Dean!” Sam yelled, “Stop!”

“Sam?” Dean said. He had Cerastes pinned, struggling, to the floor with a flaming baton pressed to the back of the snake’s head. The stench of charred flesh filled the air, making Sam cough. He staggered sideways to lean against a wall.

“We need them,” he managed, hoping that would be enough to stop Dean, and then his vision was fading and he felt himself close to passing out.

“Fuck, hang on, Sam,” Dean snapped, his voice fuzzy. Sam slid down to the floor and put his head between his knees, trying to hold onto consciousness. “What the fuck did you do, reptile?” Dean snarled.

“Dean,” Sam said weakly. “Don’t hurt them. Bring them here.” He heard Dean grunt and a pained hiss from Cerastes before Dean’s heavy footsteps approached him, accompanied by the drag of Cerastes’ scales over the dusty ground.

“Sam,” Dean’s hand touched Sam’s injured shoulder and Sam flinched away. “You with me, Sammy?” Dean said.

“Yeah,” Sam managed tightly. He brought his head up and found Cerastes eyes, losing his train of thought as he stared at the half-man, half-snake. Their skin, which had felt cool and stiff like worn leather under Sam’s fingers, glowed a soft pale-green in the torchlight, much lighter than it had been when Cerastes was in their full snake form. Cerastes met his gaze steadily, cold anger in their eyes, and pain. Sam could see a blackened mark on Cerastes’ neck where Dean had burnt him.

“Were you telling the truth?” Sam said after he’d dragged his thoughts back together.

Cerastes stared at him, unblinking, before Dean cuffed them roughly on the back of the head and they hissed angrily.

“Dean!” Sam protested.

“What?” Dean said. “It wasn’t fucking answering!”

“Their name is Cerastes,” Sam said, looking at Cerastes as he did so. Cerastes’ tongue flickered over briefly but after a long, tense moment, they inclined their head a fraction and Sam exhaled.

Cerastes’s saliva was the antidote. He tried to force himself to think. If he put his fingers anywhere near that mouth, Cerastes could just bite him again. The obvious solution was to kill them, but…Sam didn’t want to. How were they any different to Sam or Dean? Cerastes killed monsters, murderers, just like Sam and Dean tried to.

“Will- will you give it to me…willingly?” Sam slurred. He was losing control over the right side of his face as the venom spread.

“Sam?” Dean said. He kept his fiery torch close to Cerastes, threatening them, as he crouched down next to Sam. “What’s going on? It fucking bit you, right?” Sam saw Dean’s eye scan over the bite mark on Sam’s neck and Dean visibly winced. “What’s the cure? Answer me goddammit!”

“You’re murderers,” Cerastes hissed fiercely and Sam closed his eyes briefly.

“Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, we kill things, and- and we’ve killed people too.” He choked briefly, remembering the blood on his hands, “I didn’t- didn’t mean to. I’m sorry.” It was woefully inadequate but it was the best Sam had.

“Release me,” Cerastes hissed.

“I don’t fucking think so, snake,” Dean snapped.

Sam wearily met Cerastes’ gaze, “I can’t…let you kill my brother. I’m sorry. I love him too much.” He took a thick breath. The venom wasn’t going to hit his lungs and stop him breathing soon.

“For fuck’s sake, Sam, what do you need from it?”

“We tried to do the right thing,” Sam said quietly, keeping his eyes on Cerastes. The snake looked back at him, their mouth tight and pulled down at the corners. Their hand fisted by their side.

“Release me,” Cerastes said quietly. Sam looked at him silently, trying to read their face.

“Cerastes,” he said softly, pleading. Cerastes just stared at him silently.

“Sam?” Dean said, sounding scared. “Sam tell me what to goddammit!” Sam found Dean’s arm and clenched his hand around it, though he held eye contact with Cerastes. Finally, the snake sighed quietly and inclined their head. Sam released a shuddering breath.

“Thank you,” he breathed.

“Sam?” Dean said, utterly confused.

Sam turned to him, “Let go of them,” he said quietly, finding it hard to form words.

“What? Sam? You’re fucking delirious, okay-”

“Dean,” Sam snapped. “They’ll help me. They’re good, okay? They’re good. Just trust me, please.”

“Fucking insane,” Dean muttered. “Fucking crazy, stupid idjit brother.” But Sam blurrily saw Dean take away the flame torch, releasing Cerastes.

“Stupid hunter,” Cerastes hissed and Sam tensed briefly, thinking he’d made a terrible mistake- that he’d killed his brother, before Cerastes came up to him and pressed their cool lips to his, pushing their strange, saliva-wet tongue into his mouth.

“What the-” Dean stuttered, off to the side.

Cerastes drew away and Sam blinked dizzily at them, “Keep still,” they muttered and then there was a cool mouth on the bite on Sam’s neck and Sam gritted his teeth in agony, fisting his hands as he tried to obey and keep still as Cerastes pressed their saliva into Sam’s wound, their hands gripping Sam’s elbows tightly. After several, agonising, seconds, Cerastes pulled away to consider Sam. Sam’s vision was blurred but he still thought, blearily, how beautiful Cerastes was, and he lifted a heavy hand up to touch Cerastes’ cheek gently.

“You will survive,” Cerastes said, the words cold but his tone gentle.

“Thank you,” Sam said quietly.

“What just…happened?” Dean asked.

“I am going now,” Cerastes said icily. “Do not follow me.”

“The hell you’re not!” Dean said but Sam gritted his teeth against the pain to grab Dean’s shirt to hold him back.

“Don’t,” he growled. “Leave them. They only kill murderers, Dean.”

“Is that what it told you?” Dean said dismissively, “It fucking bit you, Sam!”

“Yeah, well, we’re murderers too,” Sam said coldly. “They just spared me. I owe them my life. _Leave them, Dean_.” Dean stared down at him and Sam glared back.

“Fine,” Dean growled. “We’ll leave your pet snake-man lover. Fucking brilliant.”

Sam looking past Dean, as Cerastes was moving away. The burn on the back of their neck made Sam wince in sympathy.

“Cerastes?” he called. The snake stilled but didn’t turn. “Could I- visit?”

“Sam!” Dean said, indignant, throwing his hands up.

Sam just waited for Cerastes’ response, holding his breath. Something about the snake made him want to touch and talk more. He felt like Cerastes had stories to tell, wisdom to give, and a subtle sense of humour that Sam liked.

“Don’t bring your brother,” Cerastes said finally, before they melted into the dark and Sam smiled, touching his neck gingerly. The feeling was slowly returning to it but Sam was exhausted.

“Fucking snake,” Dean muttered. Sam just smiled. 

**Author's Note:**

> I really enjoyed writing this and got maybe a little carried away with it. the whump ended up being rather sweet at the end - I hope no-one minded! I owe a debt to this site: https://abookofcreatures.com/category/poison-and-venom/ for the inspiration for Cerastes.  
> Please let me know what you think of my first, I think, foray into the SPN fandom!


End file.
